21 Must-have features in your online cab booking app

Online Cab Booking market has gained its position in the last 2-3 years. In the backdrop of entry of application based system which has not only disrupted the taxi and auto-rickshaw market but also forced automotive OEMs to revise the growth and marketing strategies.

According to stats (by statista) of Uber, users in the United States of America as of April 2017, 17.7 mn smartphone user reached to car sharing app and overall 16.6 mn user of Uber accessed through mobile-only.  

The online cab demand is really high in the world right now. People prefer to travel by cabs that can be booked beforehand than catching a running taxi service.

Apps like Ola and Uber are making high profits from this business.

Online cab booking system has really hit the right note with smartphone users worldwide.

This is a congenial time for developers to launch online cab booking apps due to the high demand. However, before developing such an app the developer needs to make sure that they are able to incorporate the best travel app features into the app that they are going to launch.

In the following article, we will state some of the best features of an app that are meant for online cab booking.

Basic functionality that online cab booking app should have

The Online Cab Booking system requires an impressive layout and highly intuitive behavior. To attract the targeted market, an application should be well defined and mainly focused on the design and user interface, and it should be user-friendly.

• User guide

When the user launches the application for the first time, he should come across the well-defined user guide.

It should cover all and every aspect of the application making it easy for the user to perform the task.

Such type of app introduction guide helps the user to understand the features of the application and its core function. It should be a UX rich user guide.

• Effortless sign-up process

You don’t want to hassle your users with an elaborate signup process. Best would be if you don’t ask them for any payment details at the time of sign up.

Most people are likely to pay with cash rather than a card or through online money transfer platforms.

Keep the signup process simple to help your users face minimum difficulties in the initial process. It has been observed that if users have to go through an elaborate sign-up, they tend to abandon the app altogether at that stage.

Ask basic details like –

• Name
• Mobile number
• Email
• Username
• Password

• User-centric booking process

After the successful completion of the user registration process, the app should take the user to the home screen from where they can select their ride by themselves.

There are some noticeable points which should be there in a cab booking process –

• Search option to enter a pickup location
• GPS enabled to detect the current location
• Detailed map to view the selected location

• User-friendly UI with location tracking

The features of the online booking system that appeals to the users most are one where the booking process is conducive to the user.

When booking cabs in a hurry, users are likely to want for something that gets the booking done with a few taps.

The basics should be like a search bar for pick up and drop location, selection of a type of ride they want, GPS detecting current location, a map where users can see their location and the location of their taxi.

Your app should also have the feature where users can save their locations, say office location, home location, frequented restaurant location, etc.

It saves their time as they don’t have to select locations all the time. Your app design should be directed towards minimalism and time-saving.

• Booking flexibility

After selecting the convenience mode of transportation, the user should have an option to the ride right at that particular moment or at a later time.

For users who need to book the ride for a later stage, a pop-up box can appear, where they can choose the date alongside the desired time.

This is advantageous in cases of surge hour when users find it’s hard to discover a cab, without undergoing the hassle of time-bounded booking. This is one useful feature for Cab Booking application.

• Estimated time of arrival

As per the convenience of the user, the application must show the option of choosing the cab along with the estimated time of arrival. This will make the user aware of the time of arrival from the beginning.

It is one of the highly beneficial features which cab booking application should have.

• Fare precision

Your app must show the estimated fare to the user. All apps worth their salt has this feature where the user can before they avail the ride, see how much it’s going to cost them.

Cabs have different rate charts and there are also surge rates. The users always want to see the rate before they avail the service of the cab.

Once the user sets the location for pick up and drop, there should be an option where they can see the approximate amount that the journey is going to cost them.

If your app doesn’t have this function, users will not be interested in the cab service and in turn, the cab service will not want your app.

• Cab confirmation

If the user confirms to book a ride right away, the application should show a confirmation screen which shows the detailed information about the ride and rate estimate.

Along with it also offer the user to apply any discounts via coupon codes.

• Transparent booking process

One of the deciding factors that would make any online cab booking service a hit among users is the transparency in pricing.

The application should show the information regarding the fares and it should be available to the user in a clear manner.

In the application, there should be an option of rate card, where the user can view the fare breakup along with the rate card with respect to the chosen ride.

• Ride details

Once the booking of the ride is confirmed, the application should avail the user to see the current location of the cab and the estimated time of arrival along with the other details of the Cab.

For Example –

• Name of the Driver
• Vehicle number of the Cab
• The contact number of the Driver
• Name and color of the Car.

One more important option should be there it is “Cancel Ride”, the user can cancel the booked ride before the driver reached the pickup location.

This option can be used if the user has some unavoidable changes in the ride plan.  

• Ride feedback

After completing the ride, the user can be prompted with the screen showing the distance traveled and total cost.

For the user engagement, the application should request the user to give their feedback or rating to the driver on the ride experience.

The rating of the driver is not for future reference, it helps the company to analyze the level of customer satisfaction.  

Differentiated features

We have done some common features that are part of the booking process,

Let’s see some distinguished features that make your application apart from other competitors application. Below there are some features which can make your application unique among the competitors.   

• Live tracking

In this feature, the user can check the live status of the booked cab as well the live status of the journey, which can gain the user experience and get updated with live traffic and can make the assumption of the arrival at the drop location

• Cab type preferences

Cab application should offer preferences for selecting different types of cabs. For example, The user who wants  Economy (Shared Ride, lowest Cost), Premium (Spacious, affordable sedans), More (Compact rental, Local city travel).

• In-app messenger

This feature will help the user as well as the driver. Through this platform, they can communicate within the application.

• My rides

This feature will show the detailed list of all the bookings which have been completed and as well as upcoming rides. This will help in keep tracking of all the rides booked by the user.

The upcoming section will give the preview of the upcoming rides scheduled for future and completed section will show the history of the ride taken.

• Wallet and different payment gateway

As the world is going towards digitization on the payment system, so one can pay through a mobile wallet or from different payment gateways like Internet Banking, Card Payments, UPI, and etc.

After every ride when the user reached the destination place, the fare will automatically be deducted through payment API and the invoice copy will be sent to the registered email ID of the user.

• Emergency contact

In order to ensure a hassle-free and safe ride, the application should provide a security feature in the application in which a user can add emergency contact details of any person.

Moreover, the user can share the information with the emergency contact every time when the ride is taken. This is one of the most important features one should have in Online Cab booking application.

• SOS button

You can offer an SOS button in the application which sends the ride details as well as the current location to the police and to the predefined contact in case of emergency.

This is a highly vital feature which can boost user confidence in your mobile app.

• Invite and earn

Online cab booking services market has gained huge momentum. In order to capture the large share of the market, you can offer a referral program under which user can invite their relatives and friends using the referral code and avail exciting offers on the ride.

Also, a user can send an invitation through email, SMS, social networking platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter.

• FAQ section

A comprehensive FAQ section should be there in the application where it should cover all the queries which can help user experience because online booking service is still in the nascent stage in some parts of the world.

Some focus areas to become successful –

• Get Professional and skilled drivers, because a bad driver can let your company reputation down.
• Build your cab base to meet the market demand, before entering the market.
• Ensure that you reach to your customer, availing cab service at maximum places in the city.
• Online Documentation for the  Diver can be a good add-on and you should aware of the market in details because rules and regulation can differ from place to place.
• Minimum waiting time – Less the waiting time, happier the customer.

How can VT Netzwelt help you?

If you are planning to launch your cab booking platform, then these are the must-have features in your application.

Discuss your mobile app requirement with our team of highly experienced UX designers, Android Developers, iOS Developers to launch your successful cab booking platform.

Frequently Asked Questions